


Broken Promises

by GinnyRoxtheBurrow (WelshCakes68)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Post-War, F/M, Post Hogwarts AU, Post-Half-Blood Prince AU, Post-Hogwarts, Post-Series, Post-War, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-25
Updated: 2015-03-25
Packaged: 2018-03-19 13:57:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3612543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WelshCakes68/pseuds/GinnyRoxtheBurrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Second War is finally over so everything should be great right? Wrong. For Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley everything is far from perfect. Since the war was won, Harry has been different. He's now become heavily dependant on alcohol and takes all his woes and angers out on Ginny. Will she accept the 'Her' Harry is gone or will Harry wake up to see what he's jeopardizing?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Preface

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this around nine years ago and posted on SIYE. It was a real eye-opener to read through it again! I'm not really sure why I'm posting it other than...illustrating evolution.

It had been three and a half years since _The Second War_. Halfway through Harry Potter’s would be seventh year, all of the Horcruxes had been discovered and destroyed except for the one that still resided inside of Voldemort himself. Since Dumbledore’s death, the Order had been preparing for the time that Harry would tell them that the time had come to fight. The Side of the Light had had the upper hand during the beginning of the war because they had commenced the battle themselves, taking Voldemort by surprise.

After the grueling war was over, the Order and their allies had come out victorious but not without casualties. Kingsley Shacklebolt, Dedalus Diggle, Sturgis Podmore, Marietta Edgecombe, Ernie Macmillan, Terry Boot, Susan Bones, Lee Jordan, Professors’ Flitwick and Sinistra and Remus Lupin had all perished fighting the good fight and helping the ‘Chosen One’ on his way to victory.

Harry Potter had killed Tom Riddle but the cost had been great. Harry had used almost all of his magic to defeat Riddle but when he had realized that his end was near, Riddle had tried to take Harry with him, casting a spell that had sent him into a coma-like state.

Three months after the battle and Harry had still not awoken. All had given up hope that the fallen hero would ever recover; all except Ginny Weasley that is. Of course, she would never have given up hope or faith in his recovery; that would have been breaking one of her promises.


	2. Chapter One

The wedding, which surprised many, had gone off without a hitch; unless of course you counted Fred and George enchanting Bill and Fleur’s wedding clothes to switch with the other once they were both being worn. The following mayhem ensued with Bill chasing them around the Burrow, brandishing his wand, in Fleur’s wedding dress while Fleur herself was sitting on the sidelines in a tux four sizes to big sobbing that it was bad luck for the groom to see the wedding dress before the wedding and that it was probably even worse to wear it.

 

So, once everything had calmed down, the wedding had gone smoothly and Bill and Fleur have been joyfully honeymooning in Australia for the past three days. At this time, back in England, Ginny Weasley could be found sitting on the highest branch on the tallest tree at the Burrow. Charlie had shown her this place and taught her how to climb trees when she was seven and it had been her thinking place ever since. So that’s where she was, sitting high above the ground, escaping all of the troubles that lived down there and thinking of the one thing that consumed most of her thoughts and the thing that she was really hiding from; Harry Potter. Since his arrival, two days prior to the wedding, everything had been fine between them. Well, as fine as they could have been. They had been very civil to each other, made conversation, could be in the same room together but it was all a show and everyone knew it. Harry and Ginny had just acted as they had before they had become a couple; friends, but neither discussed or mentioned the topic of ‘them’ so neither did anyone else. They needed to talk; get things out in the open.

 

With that thought in mind, she climbed down and made her way back up to the Burrow. As she walked into the Burrow she saw the Love of her Life sitting on the sofa, reading ‘Quidditch Throughout the Ages’ which she had given him for his birthday. She paused in the doorway to take him in. She couldn’t believe that she had gone nearly a month without kissing him and she had to congratulate herself on her self-restraint. He was now a grown man of seventeen and looked extremely good with the blend of changes and normality that was unique to him. His skin was sun-kissed from the early summer months, his hair was irresistibly messy as always, his face had filled out and looked more mature but the young Harry could still be seen, shining through his deep emerald eyes that she adored. His shape had also changed as he had grown over the last year or so, giving him an extra five inches or so and now his muscles were very, very well defined through Quidditch, chores and getaway walks from the Dursleys. _‘His uniform doesn’t do him justice.’_ She thought with a shiver.

She thought that she had better make her presence known so she took a deep, calming breath before speaking.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” He replied as he marked his page and put his book down.

“Where is everyone?”

“Um…your parents are at an Order meeting and said they’d be late back, Ron has gone over Hermione’s to _Meet the Parents_ officially and they’ll come back together on Friday. The twins and Charlie have gone to ‘Pick Up Birds’.”

A chuckle escaped her lips; he could still make her laugh.

“So, you know what this calls for?” She queried, pausing dramatically. “A pig-out ‘Brownie, Cookie and Milk’ session. I’m making.”

He cracked that dazzling smile that never failed to melt her into a puddle and laughed.

“That sounds great.”


	3. Chapter Two

“So, do you want milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or should we be _really_ wild and have both?” She asked, stopping and turning towards him.

“Umm……” he muttered distractedly. The sun was shining through the window behind her and was giving off a shimmering red halo as her hair swayed rhythmically from side to side.

“Uh…Harry?” She questioned slowly, wondering why he was staring at her with his mouth open like that.

“Oh, sorry. Let’s go mad; both.” He replied quickly to get away from that embarrassing moment.

“Wow, both? We’re pushing the boat out a bit aren’t we?” She joked.

“Ah well, we’re young, we can live for today, right?”

“Definitely” She replied with a smile and then a pause. “I definitely think that we should live for the moment.”

A deafening silence engulfed the room as the two teens stared at each other mutely.

“Umm……” Harry started, breaking eye-contact by looking down at the floor, knowing where this was going, knowing what always happened if he looked into those startling, big, brown eyes of hers for too long.

“Uh……right, both it is then.” She hastened to say while backing away and walking into the pantry. _‘Oh man. What were you doing Weasley? You just made a complete idiot of yourself!’_ Angry at herself, she tore about the room looking for the ingredients she needed.

Meanwhile, Harry was pacing around the table in the Weasley’s kitchen.

_‘Come on Harry! Get it together! You’re not being fair to her. You might be dead within a year and it was YOU who finished things with HER. You’d be messing around with her head.’_

**‘But I Love Her!!!’**

_‘Oh my god, I Love Her?!’_

At that exact moment Ginny walked in, arms ladled with food and a small blush caressing her cheeks, one he hadn’t seen for awhile and one that he now found strangely sexy but at the same time cute and appealing.

So, for the next hour or so the two of them just made small talk while Ginny made and baked the brownies and cookies.

“Couldn’t we have just used magic? It would’ve been much quicker.” He queried.

“Oh crap! You’re right!” She replied, turning around to look at the exasperated expression on his face; then started to laugh at his cute pout. “Just kidding Harry. We could have done that but I can’t use magic yet and I would have had to have taught you the spells.” She explained.

A look of dawning comprehension spread across his face followed by a small smile.

“Besides,” she continued, “there’s something about food that’s cooked the muggle way; it just tastes better to me I guess. You know, home cooking and all.” She stated.

Just then, Arnold, Ginny’s Pygmy Puff, came bounding into the room and made a bee-line straight for Ginny.

She sighed then bent down to pick him up. “Arnie. What are you doing down here? I’m sure I locked my door.” She said whilst petting the fluffy creature. She lifted him up to her eye-level and just looked at him for a minute seemingly oblivious to Harry’s presence. “Okay,” she said to the little creature, “I get it.” She then proceeded over to the back door with him in her arms and opened it. “But don’t go too far.” She warned before letting the little creature down. He was gone in a flash so Ginny turned back to Harry and their nutritious meal.

At his look she started an explanation, now being aware of his presence again. “Oh, he likes to chase the Garden Gnomes.”

“Aren’t they a little…tough for him?” He questioned having little faith in the cute, fluffy creature’s defensive skills.

“He’ll be fine.” She assured him waving off his worries. “Surprisingly edgy if someone tries to ruffle his fur; except for me of course. I just think…I kind of get him and he gets me, you know?”

 _‘Oh God I Love Her.’_ He thought. _‘She’s so compassionate about everything. Food, animals and I’ve seen loads about how much she is with her family. She’s perfect.’_

Harry had now been silent for a minute with a strange look on his face, staring intently at Ginny. It was at that point that she realised how ‘crazy-old-witch’ she sounded talking about Arnold like that. “Okay,” she started, “my sanity rating has just gone _way_ down.”

“No,” he replied quickly, “no. I just……uh……nearly forgot how compassionate you are about this stuff, that’s all.”

“Oh.” _‘Brilliant comeback, Weasley!’_ “I just……like animals. That’s my ‘thing’ I guess.” She added quickly just before an echoing silence engulfed the room once more. After a few moments she couldn’t stand the silence anymore so tried to fill it. “So, Hagrid is going to have at least one person in his NEWT class this year.”

“Really?” He said startled. “You want to take Care of Magical Creatures at NEWT level?”

“Well, yeah. I mean why not? It’s something I love to do. That’s all considering I got the OWL’s for it, of course.”

A small smile graced his lips. “Ginz, you’ll have done great, I promise. You’re like Hermione but mellow.” He joked.

A small giggle escaped her lips but, still, one that eased all the tension in the room. “Thanks Harry. I’m just starting to stress a bit now. I just want to get my damn results already you know?” Ginny asked quite viciously.

Harry had to stifle a laugh with a cough. “Yes, Ginny, I do know what you mean.” He then began to speak loudly to himself while turning away to avert her eyes. “So maybe ‘mellow’ wasn’t quite the right word.”

She slapped his arm playfully and they both laughed together. Ginny picked up the plate of doughy cookies and the pitcher of milk while Harry got the plate of warm brownies. They were just about to walk into the living room when Ginny turned to address Harry again. “Seriously though Harry, thank you for helping me to de-stress and for the compliment. Flattery will get you everywhere you know?” She stated with a wink then she turned on her heel, making her hair fan around her and continued into the living room. _‘Oh my God Weasley! What was that! You just made a complete arse of yourself!’_ She scolded herself.

 _‘Whoa!’_ Harry thought. _‘Calm down,’_ he countered, _‘she was just messing with you.’ ___

__**‘But did you see the look in her eye? No, she totally meant it. I really feel the same too…but it’s not fair to her is it? To just string her along like this?’** _ _

___‘No it’s not so just get it together, Potter!’_ _ _

__So he came out of his reverie, goofy smile still intact and stumbled shakily into the living room after Ginny._ _

__The two sat comfortably with each other, eating and drinking away, talking easily and flirting shamelessly._ _

__Ginny was so wrapped up in Harry’s company and having so much fun just talking to him that she had almost forgotten that they weren’t together anymore. A little voice in her head suddenly asked the question, _‘Should you have this much fun with your ex?’_ and then she couldn’t push the thought out of her head or her reasons for initially coming back to the Burrow where she knew he was. She knew that she had to speak to him otherwise everything would go back to the way things was before and she definitely didn’t want that. So she took a deep breath and tried to summon the ‘Gryffindor Courage’ that she was meant to have. “Umm……Harry?”_ _

__“Yeah Ginz?”_ _

__She allowed herself a small smile at the fact that he was calling her by the nickname he had given to her when they had started dating; he’d stopped calling her that since after Dumbledore’s funeral. “I was just wondering something.”_ _

__“Yeah?”_ _

__“Well, it’s just, now, it’s nice but it hasn’t been like this.” She stumbled awkwardly. “Is it going to be like this now or like it was before today?”_ _

__He broke eye contact with her and stared intently at the floor and started running his hand through his hair. After a minute of quiet and agitated actions he brought his back up and looked her straight in the eye. “I’ve wanted to, be like this I mean but…it just seems like whenever we’re together people are just waiting for something to happen, you know?”_ _

__“Yeah. So what about now?”_ _

__“I want to be like this.”_ _

__“Good. Do you mind if I ask you another question?”_ _

__“You just did but I’ll let you ask one more.” He smiled when she chuckled back._ _

__Her face took on a somber look quickly. “I don’t want to make things difficult but,” she paused to look him straight in the eye, “I need to know how you feel about me.”_ _

__“Ginny, I don’t think that we should…”_ _

__“Harry, please? I need to know.”_ _

__“Know what?!” He questioned quickly not wanting to look her in the eye or answer her question, knowing that he couldn’t lie._ _

__“I need to know what I did!” She shouted back._ _

__“What?!” Harry yelled, completely shocked by her question. _‘She can’t think that it was anything that she did could she?!’__ _

__Her eyes were starting to water but she was blinking repetitively to stop tears falling. “What did I do? I know that you told me that it was for my own protection but the more and more that I thought about it the more that that insecure little voice in my head told me that it wasn’t true.” He was stunned into silence and just looked at her with his mouth open while she continued. “I mean, you couldn’t have just finished things with me because you’re so close to my family and I knew you were way out of my league anyway so I just need to know, really, why you……” Her sentence was cut-off due to the fact that Harry Potter had started kissing her senseless._ _

__He started gently, careful and slow just in case she didn’t want it but as soon as she started to respond to his kiss and kiss him back he released all of the emotions that he had been bottling up inside since Dumbledore’s death into the most mind blowing kiss he had ever given her. She had brought her hands up to his head and had tangled them into the messiness of his impossible hair. He rested one hand on her lower back, pulling her closer to him with the other stroking her long mane of soft red curls while his mouth ravaged hers. He gently ran his tongue over her lower lip and she shivered as her lips parted to feel his tongue on hers. After a minute or so of non-stop passionate kissing Harry slowly pulled away but rested his forehead on hers with their noses touching as they gazed into each others eyes._ _

__“Did that tell you what you needed to know?” He questioned breathlessly._ _

__“Hmmpmhah……” She exclaimed incoherently, something between a laugh, an agreeing noise and a sigh._ _

__“I never wanted to leave you. But I had to be cruel to be kind, to keep you safe.”_ _

__She blinked a couple times to bring herself out of her daze and to regain the gift of speech. “Harry,” she started, bringing her hands up once again to rest in the messy mop of his hair, “I believe you now that that was truly what you were trying to do, I understand it and it’s sweet but you can’t protect me Harry. We’re in a war. There’s too many reasons why things could happen to me: I’m a Weasley, I’m involved with the ‘Order’ and I’ll join soon, I’m a blood traitor, they know about me from the department of mysteries, even what happened with Riddle, they all count against me. Being your girlfriend would just be another reason on a long list.”_ _

__“I never really thought about it like that.” He replied while one of her hands moved around his face to cradle his cheek. “I just wanted…”_ _

__“I know.” She stated simply. “But you can’t.”_ _

__They just looked into each others eyes for a long time, just searching for the others soul in them._ _

__“Harry, I’ve loved you since I was ten years old and that was never going to change in one month.” She said and paused before continuing, to give it time to sink in and to prepare her for what she was about to say. “Harry, I love you more than anything and nothing on this earth would make me happier than to spend whatever time I do have left with you.” She took one last and final deep breath before finishing what she needed to. “To show you just how much I do love you.”_ _

__They stared searchingly into each others eyes then at the same moment both pairs of eyes turned dark with desire._ _

__They both leaned in and clung onto each other and they kissed ferociously. Tongues were dancing, touches made, emotions shared and hearts and bodies ached for the other._ _

__She pulled him down on top of her and they lay there entangled while the heat started to rise then they apparated upstairs into her bedroom._ _


	4. Chapter Three

Harry was only remotely aware of the change in his surroundings. He semi-opened his eyes and the first and only thing he wanted to see was Ginny Weasley kissing him passionately. He smiled against her mouth, closed his eyes and felt her smile in return against his lips as he pulled her closer to him.

He opened his eyes once more and tried to avoid the distraction that was Ginny. They were lying together in a very compromising position on a very comfortable bed in a room that was decorated white and forest green. _‘This must be Ginny’s room.’_ He thought. Green, forest green in particular, was Ginny’s favourite colour. On the walls were various pictures of the Weasley family, all at different ages, some pictures of her with her friends from school but one picture in particular that stood out was one that was sitting on her bedside table, one of Ginny and him sitting closely together and cuddling on the grounds of Hogwarts with the castle in the view behind them.

 _‘She never gave up.’_ He thought to himself. ‘She always had faith that things would work out between us. How could I not have realised that I loved her before?’ He questioned himself. Now that he knew what he felt for her he now suddenly couldn’t imagine himself not loving her. _‘And she loves me. She loves me!’_ His head screamed.

She shifted beneath him and everything came rocketing back to him about them in the now so he decided to put all of his efforts and concentration into kissing her fully. Her hands untangled themselves from his hair and started to play with his shirt. She felt his breath hitch and loved that she could do that to him. She ran her finger down the buttons of his shirt and they all magically popped out bearing his naked torso to her.

She chanced a sneaky look at his chest and agreed with her earlier conclusion. _‘That uniform definitely doesn’t do him justice!’_

She gently started to trace shapes on his chest with the lightest of touches from her finger tips but Harry felt like they were being burned into his skin with the sensations that she was causing. He moaned gruffly from his throat and she responded by stopping her actions, briefly, to remove, what she felt, was the menace of his shirt. As she gently pushed it over his shoulders and it fell to the floor she proceeded to continue her fun (and his torment) on his lower back and spine.

After just one minute of this simple action he started to worry for his sanity so dove headlong into her neck and started his own brand of torture.

At first she gasped through surprise at the sudden change of actions but quickly the gasps turned to ones that were filled with pleasure. She’d forgotten how good he was at that. _‘How have I gone a month without him?’_ She wondered. _‘Oh no! I’m really gonna be in trouble if he remembers where I really…oohhhhh!! Ahhh, he remembers. Of course he wouldn’t forget. I knew telling him that my neck was my weak spot was going to backfire on me!’_

She slowly and sensually brought her hands up his back to rest on his shoulders and held him while her knees squeezed tightly against his hips; actions that caused Harry to bury himself deeper in Ginny, practically making them one person and each held each other tightly and securely as the heat and passion rose to a new level.

Ginny’s senses had now gone into over-drive. Every smell, his scent, was rich and luxurious, every touch was a pounding on the skin and every tingling sensation was a tremor. Her hands seductively slid down his chest and stomach and started to pull on his belt.

His head snapped up from her neck and his hand sprang to hers. For the first time since they ended up in her room they looked each other in the eye and spoke.

“Ginny.” He moaned. “What are you trying to do to me?”

“I thought that that was fairly obvious.” She stated saucily as her nose caressed and tickled his face, ears and neck.

“I mean…I can't do this to you Ginz. I’m leaving soon and as much as I’d like to I can't stay.”

Her face turned serious as their noses touched and they looked unblinkingly at each other. “This isn’t a plea for you to stay, Harry.” She stated as she idly twirled a stray piece of his fringe with her fingers. “This is a goodbye……for now, and hopefully, an incentive for you to come back……to me.”

Their hands were still interlocked by his groin, his firmly stopping hers from moving. “I don’t need an incentive to come back to you.” He muttered. They stared at each other for another minute then she gently tilted her head and brought her mouth to his; time stopped. Everything in the universe that mattered to the two teens was sealed in that kiss. A kiss so pure, full of love, gentle and inviting; passionate, yes, but not vigorously so.

She slowly broke the kiss to look at him. “I love you Ginny Weasley.” He breathed.

At first he saw a hint of scepticism in her eyes that he knew was rooted from her insecurities but then her eyes lit with a force of acceptance, love and faith.

No more words were needed as he released her hand.

She carried on with her task of undoing his belt buckle then moved onto his button and zipper. After the offending restrictors were taken care of the two removed his trousers and discarded them on the floor next to his shirt.

He suddenly pulled her up to him while he rested on his knees and she wrapped her legs around his waist, straddling him. His hands rested on her lower back as he ruffled the bottom of her shirt while her hands wrapped around his neck as she nipped at his bottom lip.

He tugged at the bottom of her shirt then started to pull it up and over her head. Her arms came back down to where they previously rested as they fell back down onto the bed and Harry started to make quick work of removing her jeans.

Now, there was only their underwear between their fully naked flesh.

“If you want to stop promise me you’ll tell me.” He pleaded with her.

“I promise” She breathed into his ear. “I love you.”

“I love you too. More than anything.”

They both knew what was coming and wanted it but most importantly they were ready for it.

She started to kiss his neck and lather her tongue over it to taste the tang of his after shave while he slid his hand around her back as she arched up against him so he could undo the clasp to her bra. It popped out and he slowly grazed the straps over her creamy white shoulders before removing it completely. He felt her shiver and writhe beneath him and he stopped to take in her form completely. Her pale skin glowed despite the darkness of the room, her stomach was smooth and flat and her cheeks were flushed as a blush appeared under his unreadable stare.

“Have I told you how unbelievably beautiful you are recently?” He questioned as he lowered himself down and lightly started to kiss and nibble on her collarbone.

She let out a soft sigh that was a mix of relief and pleasure. “It…uh…must have slipped your mind.” She giggled nervously. She let the feeling of warmth that Harry always gave wash over her as all of the anxiety and nervousness seemed to drain out of her. There was only him and her and she knew that he would never hurt her; she trusted him. Her hands slithered down his sides and pulled down his boxers and he kicked them off before repeating the process with Ginny’s.

They were now totally naked and bearing both body and soul to the other. They looked deeply into each others eyes then their lips slowly started to inch closer and closer to each others; they touched the smallest of touches when she pulled away saying, “Ooh…aw…wait.”

 _‘What!’_ Harry thought. _‘She has got to be kidding!’_ He wasn’t lying when he told her how beautiful she was and his body definitely agreed with him and responded; rather painfully now. _‘No Harry, she’s changed her mind and that’s fine. She isn’t ready.’_ He reasoned with himself.

While he was conversing with himself he had failed to see that she had turned slightly and was now rummaging through the drawer of her bed-side cabinet. When he finally came out of his reverie he realised what she was doing, she was getting her wand. She closed the drawer and turned back to Harry.

Seeing his questioning eyes she pulled his hand to her, put her wand in it, closed his hand around it and held his hand in hers. He was still unaware before she gently lifted their entwined hands and pointed her wand at the door whispering “Emplietius”. He recognised it as a very advanced locking charm just before he heard the door click. She then waved the wand in his hand, “Silencio Magna” before a purple beam was emitted around the room then finally she turned the wand on him, touching it to his chest before finishing with “Contremptio”. He glowed yellow for about two seconds before changing back. He could guess what that was; the ‘Contraceptive Charm’.

She slid the wand slowly down his chest, over his well-formed muscles then took the wand from his hand and placed it on her bedside table next to the picture of them.

She turned to face him fully with him lying on top of her, reached out her hands to cradle his face, looked deeply into his eyes and simply nodded.

He adjusted himself to lie comfortably between her legs and lowered himself down and hovered just inches from her face. She pulled his face closer to hers and made a trail of kisses from the top of his jaw line down to his chin then up to his nose before gently pulling his glasses off and placing them on her bedside table before wrapping one arm around his neck and the other resting on his arm.

He went slowly, going in further bit by bit. He was kissing her mouth, her neck, behind her ears, everywhere. He slowly ran his tongue down from the dip at the bottom of her throat, hands travelling down in between her breasts to her belly button, squeezing her hip before travelling back up to her breasts. He started kissing one breast, lathering his tongue over it and nipped at them sensually while his hand worked on the other, kneading and massaging the soft mounds of skin. Small moans and sighs of pleasure escaped her but then would be mingled with gasps and cries of pain when he pushed in deeper.

He didn’t like her being in so much pain. He knew if she wanted to stop she would have said but that didn’t make it any less painful for her. He wanted her to know that he was there for her always.

He slowly ran his hand up her side, causing tingles along the way, grabbed the hand that was resting on his arm, brought it above their heads, interlocked their fingers and she squeezed his hand tightly just as he was fully inside her.

“I love you.” He whispered in her ear before nuzzling her neck.

She was panting quite heavily and hugging him very tightly to her. “Just…go slow, please. I want to remember this.” She moaned.

He did as she asked and went slowly. His hands were travelling everywhere, trying to make this as painless for her as possible as she hugged him ever more tightly to her body. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back and then she kissed him with a desperation he had never seen in her before.

Harry was starting to lose himself in his feelings, the numbness in his head, the darkness that hid everything except her beautiful body and face and the rising heat he was feeling. But what he was also feeling was guilt. He was enjoying every minute of this, the feeling of himself inside of her this way, it was all great for him but she was in pain. _‘How can I be enjoying this so much when it hurts her?’_ He questioned himself.

But when he looked down he didn’t see the pain that creased her brow or her eyes scrunched up, he saw her eyebrows raised highly, a smile gracing her lips, her gently biting her bottom lip and heard her light moans of pleasure.

Thinking that biting her lip looked like rather a lot of fun he leaned in close and joined her. She responded by hugging him tighter to her body and moaning a bit louder while Harry, preying to God that he wasn’t reading the signs wrong, gently started to increase his speed and the intensity. He looked down to see her smile bigger and her moans starting to get louder. He did it again getting the same responses so carried on after satisfying his worries about if she minded; she definitely didn’t mind. He was now lost completely in her, the smell of her hair, the way she moved against him, the noises she was making, each and every freckle that was screaming to be kissed (so he did). Everything was perfect. He was very close now but wanted to make this last as long as possible and feel as good as possible for her.

She was close now, very close. She was almost falling over the edge but she didn’t care; she didn’t want to come back. He had one hand on her breast, his other hand in hers and his mouth on her neck. She could feel her muscles twitching around him and as he gave one final, hard thrust she fell completely and moaned/screamed out his name and she felt him release himself and scream out her name too.

They stayed like that for a while, just holding each other tightly, looking into the others eyes and breathing heavily. He leaned in and kissed her forehead lightly while caressing her cheek. “I love you.” He whispered gently in her ear causing shivers as he carefully rolled off of her and slung his arm across her stomach.

“I love you too.” She muttered back while turning on her side to hug him properly.

They held and cuddled with each other while he gently brought his hands through her silky soft hair and she went back to lightly drawing invisible shapes on his chest. “When do you leave?” She asked quietly.

“Soon,” he pushed out “maybe a week, two at the most.” She hugged him even tighter at this news.

“I want you to have something.” She muttered into his chest before turning over and, once again, began to rummage in the drawer next to her bed.

“I think you’ve already given me something.” He replied as he kissed her soft shoulder.

She chuckled softly and then turned around with a small wrapped package. “It was, originally, for your birthday but we…uh…I didn’t think that it was appropriate for me to give anymore.” Fumbled the red-head.

He took the small package from her and tore it open. Inside was an exact replica of the picture that she had on her bed side table. He looked at her and she started to fumble again, “Well, I…uh…had it done before we…um…finished…I didn’t think that it would be right to give you so I gave you the book instead but I didn’t get rid of it, or mine, because I guess the optimist in me was hoping that I would be able to give it to you one day…” He was kissing her again. She normally didn’t like to be cut-off but she didn’t mind when it was like this.

“I love it. Thank you so much. And thanks for not giving up.” He soothed while stroking her cheek.

“I’d never give up on you Harry. I promise you that and I promise that I will always wait for you and will always love you, no matter what.” She finished, completely entranced with his eyes.

“Well, I promise that I will always love you, I promise I will come back to see that smiling face of yours that I love to no end and I will always strive to be the best I can be and good enough for you.” He emphasised on the last four words.

She smiled lightly and put her forehead to his. “Thank you for this though, Ginz.” He said, indicating the photo. “Now I’ll always have something of yours with me. I just wish that I had something to give to you.”

She looked at him for a long moment before replying. “You’ve just given me something that can’t be topped.” He was unsure if she meant their ‘Love Making’ or his promises until he looked into her eyes and saw that she meant both. He didn’t say anything, he just kissed her sweetly but with passion, fire and promise.

***

Harry left ten days later. He gave her a kiss, a hug and an ‘I Love You’ before he left but that was it. No word of where he was going, what he was doing or even if he was going to write. She next heard of him in December, Christmas Day, when the final battle commenced.

She had fought courageously with her family, saving and protecting but also injuring and killing. Nothing had horrified her that night more than the screams that Harry Potter was dead. But he wasn’t; just as good as as far as the others were concerned. No one believed that he would wake up except her, no one had faith but it was her faith that had gotten her through the coming months. Then he woke up.


	5. Chapter Four

The lights were dim, chairs were scraping across the floor before being flipped over and rested on the tables and the gentle and soft music that was meant for lovers was slowly fading and dying down.

Ginny Weasley was sitting down, dressed to the max in an elegant but stylish red dress that ended just below her knees and bore her naked arms and exposed chest with straps hanging securely from her silky shoulders but not exposing all. Around her neck was a silver chain and in the middle of her chest sat a small heart shape cut diamond; simple but elegant.

She sat at a table set for two, alone, with her head resting in her hand, her fingers drumming on the table and looking at a candle that was set in the middle of her table that was almost melted down to the very bottom. Her face bore the expression of deepest sadness and disappointment as her eyes clued to the suspicion that there were unshed tears welling up behind them.

A dark man in his mid-thirties approached the table and gently said her name, “Ginny?”

She looked up to see who had addressed her, knowing that it wouldn’t be who she hoped it would; she knew his voice better than she knew her own. “Hi Mel. What’s up?”

Mel Tordise was the chef and owner of ‘The Kings Hold’, Ginny’s favourite restaurant. It was muggle run so was a great escape for Harry and Ginny to get away from the press and they were both known by Mel but only for good customers.

“Nothing. But I’m sorry to say Ginny but we’re closing up.”

“Oh, right.” She replied as she started to get up. She looked at her watch and saw that it was nearly twenty past twelve. _‘He’s more than four hours late, Weasley.’_ She told herself. _‘He’s not coming……again.’_

“I’m sure he’s got a good reason Ginny.” Mel said comfortingly to her.

“I’m sure he does Mel,” she said as she reached for the door before turning back. “and I’m sure it’s going to be the same one he gave me last time.” She answered mournfully.

“I’m sorry.” He replied as she waved it off. “Happy Birthday.”

“Thanks.” Then she left.

The night held a surprisingly bitter cold for August but she didn’t care; she still thought it was a nice night so she walked down the dreary and deserted street thinking about why she knew Harry had failed to turn up. When he first started to bail on her then she worried that it was some deranged Death Eater out for revenge behind it or just a regular dark wizard that Harry had busted in his job as an Auror but every time she returned home and/or waited long enough then he would turn up; as drunk as a skunk. After Harry had woken up things had been great. He had gone to live with Ginny for awhile then they had signed up to complete their years at Hogwarts but because Ginny had done most of her sixth year and because she was so advanced she finished the same time as Harry.

That was nearly two years ago. After they graduated they decided to move in together, straight out of school and they had had one entirely blissful, carefree year as young lovers who were stepping into the real world together. They had started work straight away. Harry went straight through Auror training and passed with flying colours and a few months ahead of the deadline. Ginny had gone to work for a much less moronic Ministry in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She didn’t work with the animals as much as she’d liked to but she did work with them so it was good enough for her.

So, for about a year, everything was great but then a year ago, Harry had changed. He had become friends with a fellow Auror called Danny Mecaby. Mecaby had lost all of his family during the war including his fiancée. It left him with nothing but his job. After the war was over he started to grieve for the people he had lost and it had become over-whelming for him so he had started to drink. He had still done his job so no one much cared. But with the pain that both Harry and Danny had suffered from the war and the bitter memories it held for them, the slightly older Auror had taken Harry under his wing and they had shared their woes through an empty bottle of Firewhisky.

Since then things had only gotten from bad to worse. Harry now couldn’t even function through the day without a drink and now others were starting to notice. It had taken all of Ginny’s strength in the past year to keep trying with him and have faith that Harry was going to wake up from it; but he hadn’t. She had been living with this ‘other’ Harry for a year and he now was nothing like ‘her’ Harry.

Ginny had been walking around in the cold, for more than half an hour, aimlessly, thinking about her present situation. It was now nearly one o’clock in the morning and she was tired…of everything. She looked down at her necklace. Harry had given it to her after he had woken up as a thank you for not giving up on him and keeping her promises. That Harry was now dead. She took a deep breath and thought to herself, _‘Things need to change. He needs to change or that’s it; promise or no promise. He hasn’t been keeping any of his.’_ Then she apparated home.


	6. Chapter Five

“…and then I jumped out from behind the wall and stunned him before the little prick knew what was happening!” Slurred Harry loudly, followed by the two men breaking down into fits of laughter.

The two young men could be heard clearly over the quieting din of the pub as its punters left to await their nasty hangovers in the morning.

“Aww kid. You slay me!!” Danny said while slamming Harry hard on the back making him cough out his shot of firewhisky. “I never get tired of you telling me how you brought that tosser Malfoy down. And school rivals too, huh? Just makes it even more sweet.”

He exploded with an over enthusiastic chuckle. Harry just grinned after he tried to catch as much of his spilled drink as possible. He loved to talk about his bust with Malfoy, especially in this state; he just did it louder. That was his biggest achievement; besides defeating Voldemort, of course. Malfoy was his biggest Auror-achievement. That mission had given him a good name and reputation in the department as more than just ‘The Boy Who Lived’.

“Okay lads, lets call it a mornin’ huh?” Came the voice of Sarah Genty, the daughter of the Landlord of ‘The Tricky Wand’. Sarah had long shiny blonde hair that fell to her hips and had startling blue eyes. Harry had often wondered if she had Veela origins due to the high number of punters she pulled in the pub.

Harry looked down at his watch and saw the blurred outline of what he guessed to be 3:27. “Ooops, a late one.” He giggled. His face slowly turned to a more serious look. “I’m sure there was something I needed to do. Now what was it…”

“So Sarah,” Danny loudly interrupted Harry’s train of thought, “you’re looking especially fine this evening…um…morning.”

“Oh Danz,” Sarah said sweetly and waving away his comment, “you know I look fine every evening, morning and every other time of the day.” She finished by raising her eyebrows at them.

“Yes you are. And the squire here definitely thinks so.” Replied Danny while pulling Harry close to him with one arm, while the other clung to his nearly empty bottle of ‘Oak Matured Mead’.

“Really?” She said turning on Harry with a hungry look in her eyes and made her way towards him. “Do you find me attractive, Harry?”

“Ummm…” He stumbled and backed up into a table while she continued to move closer. Her perfume was filling his nostrils from her closeness and she slowly brought her hand up to his chest and dragged her fingers repetitively across the fabric of his shirt.

“Hmmmm?” She purred in his ear getting closer to him by the second.

The actions with her hands struck something in Harry’s mind, a déjà vu. But where from? _‘Ginny!’_ Then a big picture exploded into Harry’s minds eye of a smiling Ginny which blocked Sarah out completely.

“Sorry Sarah,” he started, grabbing her hand and pushing it away, “but I’m with someone.”

“Oh come on, Potter.” Her face took on a sultry and seductive look. “It’s not like your married or anything.”

“Not yet.”

“Ooohh. So confident.” She stated. “What even makes you think that this girl would even say yes if you asked?”

“She loves me…and I love her.” He said back sternly.

“Oh yeah?” Sarah mocked. “Well if you love her so much then what are you doing here at half three in the morning for the third night in a row?”

Harry seemed at a loss for words and wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that.

“Shut up woman! You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Intervened Danny, hotly.

“Just making an observation. I think you should leave now.” She stated while pointing to the fireplace.

“Fine! Let’s go kid.” Danny proclaimed while giving Harry what was left of his mead then started to stumble over to the fireplace and picked up some floo powder.

Harry downed the contents of the bottle and finished it without coming up for air then threw it the floor where it smashed loudly. Danny had gone and Harry turned and looked hardly at Sarah…then stalked to the fireplace, grabbed some floo powder, threw it in the yelled ‘Prongs’ Place’ before being enveloped into the green flames.

***

Ginny was sitting uncomfortably wrapped up in an old blanket on a chair in her and Harry’s living room. She had dozed of at about half past three and the clock in the living room now read quarter to four. That’s when the fireplace roared to life in a burst of brilliant emerald flames waking the sleeping beauty. What appeared to be a spluttering pile of creased and crumpled robes fell to the floor with a loud thud before the head of a spectacled, raven haired man emerged groaning.

“Nice of you to come back.” Came the voice of Ginny through the darkness before she ‘Lumos’ed the room into light.

Harry slowly disentangled himself from…himself before he looked up and made eye contact with her carefully, fearing the reaction of the infamous redheads temper. He quickly ducked his head back under his cloak and hid due to both the sudden exposure of light and the look on Ginny’s tired but angered face. “Uhh…yeah…sorry Ginny. Bit of a late one tonight huh?”

 _‘Is that all he has to say?!’_ She thought enraged. _“Bit of a late one’?! No sorry?! Does he even know what he missed?!’_ “Is that it?!” She asked incredulously. “Is that all you can say to me?!” She yelled, her voice getting louder with each word.

“Ummm…” He cowered under her infamous fierce glare. “I love you?”

Ginny was struck dumb. She couldn’t believe he was saying that just to get out of a stupid situation like this. He hadn’t actually said it to her in a while so the fact that he said it to her again just to get himself out of trouble was a big blow for her. _‘I can’t believe he’s saying that to get himself out of trouble! He’s using that?! He’s using me like that?! He’s using me.’_ Hard realisation had just come to Ginny like a slap in the face; and it hurt.

Ginny had been silent now for a few minutes, just staring blankly at him, her face a mask to her emotions. He wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

She seemed to have snapped out of her stupor and started to blink slowly at him. Her eyes were very bright and she felt unshed tears pushing behind her eyes, making them prickle. She stormed straight past Harry and started to head up the stairs.

Harry uneasily picked himself up of the floor and fumbled towards her unaware of what he had done and too drunk to realise or register how upset she was because of it. “Wait Ginny. I don’t even know what I’ve don…” Harry started but was cut-off after running straight into the table by the wall, bouncing back and flipping over the sofa that was in the middle of the room before landing with a sickening crunch on the coffee table and cutting it clean in two while smashing the lamp that rested on it.

Ginny turned around on the fifth step and observed the mess of what was her living room and what was left of the man she loved.

He was moaning in pain on the floor and she took pity on him as she always did. She unsteadily helped him up the stairs and into their bedroom before resting him on their bed. She removed some of his clothes to make him more comfortable and within minutes he was sleeping soundly and snoring loudly. As Ginny looked at the young man before her she realised just how unlike ‘her’ Harry he was and just how much he’d changed. The tears silently started to fall down her porcelain features. “I’m sorry Harry.” She said quietly and firmly with no indication of a sob. “I’m just not sure that I can love you any more.”


	7. Chapter Six

Harry slowly started to come into consciousness being careful not to make too much noise or move too quickly due to the feeling that a herd of hippogriffs had done the can-can on his head. He could hear his heart beating in his head and the noise was deafening as the beats hammered at his temple. He emerged from the covers and realised he didn’t have his glasses on so reached out towards the nightstand where they were usually kept but the nightstand wasn’t there. He opened his eyes to fully take in his surroundings (despite the protests that his head made) and realised that he was at the bottom of his and Ginny’s bed. He clambered to the top, put his glasses on and felt a bit more awake.

It was then that he realised for the first time that Ginny wasn’t there. The digital clock on his nightstand read 6:23 A.M.; he and Ginny didn’t get up for work until at least seven, normally half past.

Harry sat up, rested his back against the head board and started to massage his temples slowly to ease the painful pressure there so he could clear his mind and remember the night before. He had gone with Danny straight to ‘The Tricky Wand’ from work and probably spent the night there he guessed. _‘I always do.’_ He thought to himself.

He looked on the floor and noticed that his clothes were strewn carelessly across it but somehow he didn’t think that it was the aftermath of a care-free night of passion with Ginny. They hadn’t been intimate with each other for awhile now; since Valentine’s Day in fact and if he had had any doubts in his mind and thought that something could have happened the night before the fact that he was still wearing his work trousers squashed it quickly.

“Aww man.” He groaned. He just knew that Ginny had had to put him to bed again and that was usually followed by a lecture from her the next morning when he was sober enough to enjoy it. Figuring that he might as well get it over with, he slowly drudged himself out of bed, head still pounding, and made his way to the door.

He slowly trudged down the stairs and upon entering the living room was instantly panicked by the thought of an attack. Objects were randomly scattered across the floor and the coffee table next to the sofa was in two pieces. Then he slowed down and started to rationalise; he would never have slept through an attack, no matter how drunk he was, there were indications of tidying up already having been started (a broom in the corner with the shattered pieces of what was left of Ginny’s favourite lamp sitting underneath it) and the couch was made up like someone had slept on it.

 _‘What the hell happened?’_ He questioned himself. This thought was followed by the feeling of a lead weight being dropped in his stomach as little flashes of memories came to him from the previous evening. He raised his hand to his head and realised that his pounding headache wasn’t just because of a hangover as he felt a large and painful lump forming on the back of his head. _‘Oh no. I did this?’_ He started to stumble towards the kitchen as he went through everything in his head. _‘I must have been really bad last night. Too far Harry, too far.’_

He was just about to open the door to the kitchen when he glanced at the magical calendar hanging on the wall next to the door. The square labelled 12th in August was glowing meaning that today was the 12th but the thing that had drawn Harry’s attention was the moving cartoons for the 11th. A birthday cake, party poppers and streamers were shooting around the square with the glittering words that read ‘Ginny’s Birthday’. Harry’s heart stopped. He wasn’t with Ginny for her birthday. They were supposed to have gone to Mels’ but Harry could not remember going there or in fact seeing Ginny at all last night. As the nervousness started to rise in him he could recall more and more of his evening with Danny. _‘Oh my God!’_ He thought desperately. _‘Was I really that desperate for a drink last night that I forgot about Ginny? What the hell’s happened to me?’_ He slowly walked to the kitchen door, not having a clue what to say to Ginny; he could think of nothing to justify what he’d done or his behavior.

Suddenly, he could hear a noise coming from the kitchen; was it sobbing? Was Ginny crying? But, Ginny never cries. Ginny felt that if she cried others would think that she was weak (even though she never felt that way about others crying). He gently pushed the door open to see Ginny with her back to him, sitting at the table, her shoulders shaking slightly and her head in her hands.

It was that sight which made Harry want to burst into tears himself. He was making Ginny cry, his Ginny, the love of his life. _‘Potter, you bastard!’_ He gently edged towards her, every silent sob that escaped her wrenching at his heart. He delicately placed his hand on her shoulder and she instantly flinched from his touch, brought her head from her hands and turned away from him. He got down on his knees by her side. “Oh, please Ginny.” He begged. “I am so sorry.”

“Do you actually know what you’re apologising for this time?” She asked coldly.

“Yes.” He replied feeling even more guilty at her words. “I am so sorry about last night. I can’t even believe myself that I did that and that I forgot your birthday.”

“I can.” She quipped coolly and finally looked towards him. He looked into her eyes with confusion laced in the emerald depths. “This isn’t the first time you’ve let me down in the past year, Harry; the excuse is just always the same.” Her words hurt but they were like a pin prick in comparison to the pain he felt when he looked into her eyes. He saw hurt and sorrow but he still saw love in their depths but it saddened him that it was almost unnoticeable. There was a time when he wouldn’t even have to look at her and he could feel it radiate from her but now he wasn’t even sure if she still did and that thought terrified him. _‘And who’s fault is that Potter?’_

She got up from her seat and walked to the kitchen counter, rested her hands on it then gazed out of the window. “You have a problem, Harry. I’ve tried to help you but you just won’t help yourself.” She closed her eyes letting all of the stray tears fall and looked down with her voice as strong as ever. “I’m done.”

His head snapped up from where he’d been looking down. “What?” He whispered softly but was heard clearly by Ginny.

“I…” she started, her voice starting to break, “I just can’t do this anymore.” The silence in the room was deafening then she turned and flew out of the room.

Harry was up like a shot and ran straight after her into the living room. “Wait, wait.” He called after her desperately. He caught her, grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him with his own eyes now wet with tears. “What do you mean? What are you saying?”

“I just don’t have the strength to do this anymore Harry. I can’t handle this. It just hurts too much.” She was crying hysterically and sobbed out every word.

He cupped her face with his hands and spoke gently to her, both crying profusely. “You can’t leave me. We’re a team. Anything that’s wrong we can face together. If we just work at…”

“Team?!” She screamed and pushed him away. “Us?! Harry, there is no team, there is no us. Just me. I’m the one who has to deal with all of these problems. I’m the one who has to look after you! Me! And I’m the one that just can’t take it anymore.” She turned away, more emotional than she’d ever been in her life.

“If you just give me one more chance,” she shook her head violently, “then I know that things can change, I promise.”

“You’ve said that before.”

“This time will be different.”

“You’ve said that before too.”

He grabbed her hands and brought them to his chest. “I will do this for you. I’ll stop. No more drinking, no more letting you down. There’s only you.” He stroked the side of her face and kept repeating ‘only you’ as her eyes fluttered closed.

He suddenly collapsed to his knees and hugged her abdomen towards him tightly. “Please, please, please. I love you Ginz, more than anything. I can’t live without you. I need you. Please.”

While Harry begged, Ginny had an internal battle raging inside of her. Her head was telling her that she was setting herself up for more hurt and pain but her heart made her have faith and told her that maybe this time would be different if he was given another chance. She decided.

She opened her eyes, took a steadying breath and said two words. “Last chance.”

His eyes popped open and he climbed up onto his feet. “Thank you Ginny. Thank you, thank you so much.” His facing was inching towards hers and she roughly brought her hands to his shoulders and stopped him.

“I mean it.” She declared icily. “I’ll be packed and gone before you wake up from your next binge.” Her face was set and her glare piercing. All he could do was nod his understanding.

She slipped out of his grasp and walked silently up the stairs without another word. He didn’t take his eyes off her until she was out of sight. _‘That was close Potter. Too close. No more. She’s all that matters.’_ He looked around at the mess he had made and made quick work of tidying it up the muggle way because his wand was upstairs and he was wound so tight that he needed some relief to get rid of the tension and stress he felt. After he packed away the blanket and pillow and tidied up he hesitated before slowly ascending the stairs. He came to a stop outside their bedroom door. He finally put his hand to the door knob and froze. _‘I’ll have to take this slowly, not pretend everything’s the same. Things aren’t fine.’_ He knocked lightly on the door.

“Come in.”

He entered the room and gave Ginny a nervous smile who was sitting on the bed and putting her shoes on. She gave him the briefest and smallest of smiles in return then went back to her laces. _‘Better than nothing.’_ He thought.

She stood up dressed for work, picked up her bag and was checking she had everything. He still needed a shower and a shave badly so he headed to their en-suite when she spoke. “Remember there’s a family meal at the Burrow tonight.” He felt a twinge of guilt; it was for her birthday but she’d left that part out. “You coming?”

“Yeah, yes please. If that’s okay?”

“I wouldn’t have asked if it wasn’t.” She replied with a bit of her mischievous side shining through with a small grin before her face returned to normal. “Six o’clock so be home by four.”

“Okay, that’s fine. Great.” He said a little bit too eager.

She nodded then slung her bag over her shoulder, ready to apparate. She was just about to leave when she turned to him one last time. “If you’re not here…” She left the sentence open but he knew what she was implying. He nodded vehemently and she responded with a quick nod back then she was gone.


	8. Chapter Seven

Harry had been sitting at his desk in the Auror office all day, twitching nervously, biting his nails, not speaking to anyone; just sitting at his desk, not touching his work and staring unblinkingly at the picture that Ginny had given him for his seventeenth birthday of the two of them that was sitting on is desk. He couldn’t decide whether he liked basking in all the memories of Hogwarts and their time together there or upset that they weren’t happy now. He definitely leaned towards the latter because he knew it was all his fault.

Harry had (supposedly) worked all through lunch today because he wasn’t in the mood to eat (even though he hadn’t eaten since lunch time the day before) and also he was attempting to hide from Danny at all costs. Luckily, Danny was on the beat today, doing the practical side of the job while Harry was stuck in the office, meant to be doing paper work. 

It was now quarter to four and Harry thought that it would be okay to bunk off a bit early considering he wasn’t much use today anyway. He had been checking his watch incessantly all day, panicking that he would be late and blow his chance with Ginny. He hesitated when he realised that he might run into Danny if he went to the apparition point now because Aurors out in the field normally just reported back to headquarters and then left early as there was no point in doing around fifteen minutes of paper work before leaving for the day anyway.

He knew that if he saw Danny it would create a difficult situation. He didn’t think his resolve would crumble he just wanted to let him down gently. Lucky for Harry, he predicted this eventuality and brought his home portkey with him. It was actually something Hermione invented. It was a portkey (an item of your choice) that remembered the location of a persons home then sent them there with a simple activation that doesn’t require the user to re-do the spell constantly. Harry’s portkey was a key ring that was also a bottle opener. He made a mental note to get a new one as soon as possible.  
He ducked down low in his cubicle, had a quick look around and activated the portkey.

***

Ginny was sitting at her desk with her head in her hands staring blankly into space. Her mind hadn’t been on her work all day but she couldn’t find the concentration to focus on work; her mind, as always, was too focused on Harry. _‘It’s nearly four. If I go home and he’s not there that will be it. We’ll be over. Will he be there? I think he will. I hope he will. He looked so upset earlier. Maybe now he’s finally come to his senses’_ She mused. _‘Or maybe I haven’t.’_

It’s four now as the clock on the wall tells her. She had explained to her boss about leaving early and she was fine with it, so Ginny started to assemble her things slowly, apprehensive about whether she would or wouldn’t find him there. She took one final bracing breath then left her department to go to the apparition points.

***

Ginny silently apparated into the living room with her pop barely making a sound. It’s quiet. Very quiet. _‘Oh please, oh please, oh please.’_ “Harry?” she calls into the silence. Nothing. She’s just about to slouch in failure when a reply came followed by running feet.

“Hi.” He pants running down the stairs with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. “Sorry, I was looking for a vase.” Then he walked up to her and presented her with a multi-coloured bouquet of her favourite flowers; lilies.

Her face broke into a genuine smile, the first she’d given all day. “Awww. Thanks Harry. They’re beautiful.” She says while taking them off him.

“Not as much as you.” He replies. Usually, a compliment like that would have earned him a very big Ginny smile and a kiss but things were far from usual and had been for awhile. Instead, an awkward silence engulfs the room.

She gives him a small smile and blushes slightly though it’s not through flattery at his compliment. Trying to break the tension before it gets too uncomfortable Harry quickly changed topics. “Did you want to have another shower before we go?”

“Yeah.” She responds. “I want to wash my hair.” She states while fingering it absent mindedly.

“Okay then, why don’t you jump in and I’ll find that vase for these.” He says while taking the flowers off her.

“You sure?” She asks.

“Positive.”

“Okay. Thanks.” She replies awkwardly. Then slowly turns and heads up stairs.

Harry started to rummage around trying to find one then finally gave up and conjured one even though he knew he’d find one straight away without even looking after he put the flowers in them. He walked up the stairs intending to put it on Ginny’s bedside table when, alas, he sees a glass vase sitting stock still on a table on the landing. He let out a small sigh then continued to their bedroom. He knocked and got no reply so just went in, put the lilies on Ginny‘s side table then proceeded to pick out his clothes for the evening.

He decided on black trousers and an emerald green shirt that Ginny had bought him. It was her favourite shirt for him and claimed it brought out the colour of his eyes just like her mother always told him. He had just laid the ensemble out on their bed when Ginny came back into the room from the en-suite bathroom clutching at her towel, dripping wet with her hair in wavy, wet curls. He was looking at her with no shame, obviously staring with his mouth hanging open. _‘Bloody Hell!!! How exactly could I have forgotten that she was that damn sexy?!’_

“Uh, Harry?” Questioned Ginny. He’d been silent and staring for a whole three minutes now. She felt uncomfortable with him staring at her like that when, sexually, they’ve been strangers for quite a while now. Though, she did get a certain amount of thrill knowing that she could make him speechless and he still wanted her; when he was sober.

“Uh, sorry.” She smiled a little knowingly at him before her face returned to normal. She walked over to the wardrobe, pulled out a dress and walked back over to the bathroom, closing the door behind her but not before throwing him a mischievous smirk before the door clicked shut.

 _‘Oh my god!’_ He thought to himself as soon as the door had closed. _‘She still drives me nuts.’_ Then he collapsed on the bed.

On the other side of the door, Ginny was drying herself off and reviewing the situation. _‘He came. He showed. That’s a good sign at least. The way he was looking at me…he hasn’t looked at me like that a while. This is only the first night of a new start. We shouldn’t rush it. I need to give it more time.’_

***

The two were just about ready to leave. Ginny had gotten dressed and done her hair and Harry had washed up and dressed; he just needed to do his tie now…and that’s where the problem was. “I can never…hmmph…do these stupid things. They always look wrong.” He moaned while relentlessly crissing-and-crossing his black tie in knots. Ginny looked over and looked amused at his struggling. He finally gave one last exasperated yank on his tie and gave up in frustration looking at it mutinously. At this point a small giggle escaped Ginny’s lips. He looked over at her incredulously. “This isn’t funny. You’re Mum probably wont let me in because I look like such a scruff.”

She laughed out loud at that. “Come off it will you. Mum would never turn you away from our house no matter what you looked like, now calm down.” He obeyed her and took a deep breath. “Come here.” Again he followed her instructions. She gently disentangled the knots he’d made in his tie then calmly and gently started to do it properly. First she opened up his collar to make sure the tie was completely under it and her fingers brushed his neck gently as she did evoking a shiver from him then continued to make the perfect looking tie. When she was done she smoothed out his shirt around his chest, again evoking a shiver then looked up at him appraisingly. “Very handsome and dashing.”

“Thanks. And you look…” He couldn’t quite find the right word to describe just how drop dead gorgeous she looked but she appreciated the half a compliment anyway.

“Thanks.” They looked at each other for awhile with her hands still on his chest. After about five seconds of them slowly moving closer to each other, centimetre by centimetre she pushed herself away from him. “Come on, we’re probably gonna be late.”

 _‘So close!_ ’ Screamed Harry in his head. _‘She obviously doesn’t want to move into that territory for awhile yet. Just wait. Be patient. Everything is going fine.’_

***

Everything was not fine. The dinner at the Weasley house was a complete disaster. Ginny had not been in the birthday spirit after the events of her actual birthday so when everyone made a big deal about she really wasn’t enthusiastic about it. Also, everyone had asked what she’d done and what Harry had gotten her and done for her. Both topics did not make very long conversations. She didn’t say what had really happened because things would get uncomfortable with everyone and there wouldn’t be much left of Harry to try to re-build a relationship with.

Everyone could tell there was a problem but Ginny would just mumble back something about ‘busy at work’ or ‘not enough sleep’. With they’re earlier questions they would just get uncommitted replies like ‘good’ or ‘nothing much’ and everyone knowing what a bubbly person Ginny was were unimpressed with her answers and were skeptical.

Most Weasley parties lasted until around midnight to one o’clock in the morning but by half past ten the birthday girl was more than ready to leave. She’d thanked her parents and her mother had made one more attempt to question her daughter but Ginny had just shrugged her off.

So now Harry and Ginny were lying in bed, with her as far away from him as possible. Harry wasn’t even sure that she would have let him sleep in their bed but she had made no objections but then again she had said nothing since they’d got home. She was lying with her back to him but he turned to face her anyway.

“Gin?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m really sorry about tonight.”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“Yes it was. If it wasn’t for me you would have had much more interesting answers to give.”

She shrugged. “Ah well.” Silence.

“I might be able to help on one account.”

“Really?” She replied skeptically.

He turned around and started to dig around in his nightstand. He found what he was looking for and turned around to face her again but her back was still to him despite the fact that she would definitely have heard him digging around. So he got up, walked around to her side of the bed and knelt down beside her. “Happy Birthday.” He said holding out the wrapped box for her.

“What’s this?” She asked, her head slowly rising off the pillow.

“It’s your birthday present. I was saving it to give you in Mel’s but…” He broke off uncomfortably. “Anyway, open it.”

He was bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement so she couldn’t deny him. She took the box off him and sat up properly. She undid the wrapping paper and was welcomed with a long velvet box. She opened the box and there sat a diamond, emerald and sapphire cut necklace. It was absolutely stunning. It was also the one she’d wanted for awhile but she felt little elation at actually holding it.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, no it’s fine.”

“I thought it was the one you wanted. You can exchange it if you don’t like it.”

“No, really, you got the right one. Sorry, thank you.” She leaned over to him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She put the box on her nightstand and knocked the lamp off.

“No problem.” He was slightly disappointed but thought she probably wasn’t in the mood to be given a present. He jumped back into bed and put his arm around Ginny’s waist. She tensed up immediately. He slowly pulled his arm away and sighed “Goodnight.”

“Night.” Then the room lapsed into silence, both thinking the other had gone to sleep.


	9. Chapter Eight

It had been three weeks now since Ginny’s Birthday and Harry and Ginny had been trying to salvage their relationship and strived to get things back to normal. Steadily, they had started to make some progress. The further away the birthday incident had become then the more Ginny seemed to relax and get over it and in return Harry could now peck her on the cheek and mouth with no tensing up and could also cuddle with her in bed. All in all, Harry felt that things were going as well as could be expected. He hadn’t had a drop to drink, which sometimes he found difficult but thinking about Ginny until the craving passed always seemed to work for him, and he also had not spoken to Danny. With that last point in mind it wouldn’t be hard to explain why a slurring mass of cloak came knocking on their door at 9:15 in the night.

Harry went to answer the door from his place in the living room and was instantly greeted with a strong smell of many different types of alcohol emanating from a shadowy hiccoughing figure.

“’ello Squire!!! Well, fancy sheeing you herrreee. It’s been a while and all and…” Anything Danny said after that point would only have been distinguishable to Danny himself. “So where have you been, Lad?!”

“Shhhhh Danny shhhhh.” Harry hissed at his intoxicated old friend. He threw a quick, worried look up the stairs. “Look Danny, you can’t stay okay. Ginny’s in the shower and she’ll be out any second.” He pleaded.

“Ginny?! Well I haven’t seen that sweet little thing in a while. Why don’t I come in and say hello?” Said Danny enthusiastically while pushing his way past Harry.

Harry reacted straight away, grabbed Danny and started to push him back. “No. You can’t come in and if she sees you then she’ll be anything but a sweet little thing!!”

“What?! Why?!”

“Look Danny. I should have come to speak with you before but I’ve been avoiding you and the truth is that you won’t be seeing much of me from now on.”

“Why not?”

“Because whenever I’m with you all I seem to do is get wasted out of my head.”

Danny guffawed at that statement. “Well, what’s wrong with that?” He chuckled.

“Everything’s wrong with that!!!” Yelled Harry losing his temper with the bumbling idiot. Now he had a first hand account of Ginny had had to deal with for a year. “Look, I can’t be _that_ guy anymore. Ginny deserves better that slurring idiot that I was most of the time.”

“Awwwww. This is about Ginny. Typical women, manipulating creatures they are. If she loved you she would deal with it.”

“She shouldn’t have to deal with it!!! Look, I’ve said all I need to. I don’t want to see you anymore. Only occasionally at work and that’s it. Got it?”

He just stood there numbly for a moment looking at Harry, pleading at him to change his mind. After he realized he wouldn’t he turned and started to stumble away mutely.

Harry closed the door and leaned against the door for a moment with his face in his hand. After he felt a bit calmer he pushed himself away from the door and made his way to the kitchen to distract himself. When he made his way across the room he failed to notice the red-head sitting on the stairs with the soaking wet hair looking at him with an unreadable expression.

***

Later that night Ginny was lying in bed thinking about everything that she’d over-heard Harry say. _‘Maybe he has changed. I know he’s been avoiding Danny so there wouldn’t be a confrontation but he faced up to him with no problem. Things are different now. Finally!’_

Her thoughts were disturbed by the feel of a body climbing into bed behind her. He planted a kiss on her cheek from behind, wrapped his arms around her and mumbled “Goodnight.”

“’Night.”

There was silence for a moment before she turned around in his arms to face him. He smiled down at her then closed his eyes to continue trying to fall asleep. However, his attempts were disturbed when Ginny started to plant sweet, searing kisses on his neck and behind his ears. He looked down at her to see her face nuzzled in his neck. As he kept looking at her she finally looked up at him with a look of pure mischief plastered on her face with her eyebrow raised and her biting her lip seductively.

She then moved her attack up to his mouth and rolled him onto his back with her body pinning him down. Their kisses were savage and full of need like they had finally found home in each other. She was attacking his mouth mercilessly as her hands found his hair and clung to it desperately as his hands came around her back and pulling her closer and harder to himself.

Slowly their kisses started to become more slow paced and more fuelled by love than anything else. Slowly they broke off, very out off breath and staring closely at the other. She leaned in for one more sweet kiss then rolled off of him onto the bed next to him. She observed him and giggled to herself lightly at the gob-smacked expression on his face. He turned to her gave her a soft kiss on her forehead and they snuggled back up together before actually falling asleep.

***

It was now one month exactly since Ginny’s birthday and everything was almost back to normal. The only that was yet to return everything to complete normality was the fact that they had yet to make love. Since that night there had been absolutely no hesitation anymore with a bit of a make out session but they had yet to take it further. He wasn’t quite sure if she was ready and didn’t want to push her.

It was 5 o’clock and as the grandfather clock struck Ginny apparated into the living room. The lights were down low and there was soft music playing in the kitchen.

“Harry?”

No answer. She dropped her bag and walked over to the kitchen door. She pushed it open and was greeted with a candlelit dinner for two with fancy silverware and an ice bucket with champagne resting in it.

As she was looking around in awe a strong pair of arms encircled her waist from behind before soft kisses were placed on her neck.

“Hi.” Mumbled Harry while he nuzzled himself into her neck.

“Uh, hi. What’s all this?” She asked bemused.

“Well,” He started while spinning her around to face him and she quickly noted that he was wearing that jade shirt that she loved on him, “ twenty years and one month ago today the miracle of you was brought into this world and I felt that was something that had to be celebrated.” He finished, planted a kiss on her cheek and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Awww. You are so sweet.” She brought her hands up and pulled his head down to meet her lips in a electrifying kiss. When they broke off she smiled up at him and asked “Well what’s on the menu then, Chef?”

He spun her back around and led her to the table and revealed her favourite meal. They ate and talked about anything and everything. Harry put down his knife and fork and walked over to the ice bucket and offered some champagne to Ginny. “Bubbly?”

She looked at the bottle and then back up at Harry, only just registering the two. “I on the other hand,” He continued, “will be partaking of this succulent pumpkin juice with an excellent date.” He said, reading her mind.

She smiled up at him. It must be hard for him to do that when he’s trying to quit. “Well, how excellent is the date on the juice?”

His face changed immediately from playful to serious. “No, really Ginz. It’s fine, you can have some.”

“Well I’m not very big on the champers anyway so I’ll join you with a juice. Really.” She persisted at his doubtful stare.

“Okay then.” He banished the champagne bottle and poured pumpkin juice into two champagne glasses instead.

“So,” She started as Harry took his seat again, “what should we toast to?” 

“I think we should toast to you since we are celebrating how great you are and all.” He said with a smirk but in all seriousness.

She smiled but wore a serious expression. “I think we should drink to us. That way we can still toast the brilliance of me but we can drink to the thing I care about the most too.”

All the playfulness was gone and there was only seriousness left. He nodded, they clinked glasses and drunk to themselves.

***

It was now getting close to 1 AM and the two were still lazing on the couch happily talking with their pumpkin juice still in hand.

“Oh, I can’t believe we were ever that young. Hogwarts feels like a million years ago now.” Said Ginny in a far off and far away voice.

“Yeah. Those were the good old days.”

“Stop it! You’re making me feel old.”

“Old?! What are you on about woman?! You are far too gorgeous and sexy to be old.” He said while snuggling up to her and giving her a swift kiss on her forehead.

“You think?” She asked blushing slightly.

“Of course I do.” He said while he stroked her arm lightly.

She smirked and bit her lower lip while looking him up and down. “Well,” she leaned forward and put her glass down on the table along with his, “you’re not so bad yourself.”

They slowly started leaning into each other and their lips touched in a slow and soft kiss before progressing into something with more passion and need.

She gently pushed him back onto the sofa and rested on his chest and started running her hands down his body. She straddled him and started to pull his shirt off before quickly moving on to his trousers and boxers. After the articles of clothing were discarded to the floor she pulled his hand to her blouse to encourage him to undo them. His fingers started to expertly undo the buttons effortlessly when he paused.

“W…What’s wrong?” She stuttered while rubbing his shoulders.

“Are you sure about this? I just don’t want you to regret this after.” He replied.

“I’m sure. Trust me, this is long overdue.” She said before kissing him again and making him melt into it. His hands returned to her blouse and made quick work of getting it off along with her bra. He reached up and started kissing the crevice in between her breasts and lathering his tongue over them. She closed her eyes and let the sensations overtake her. It had been so long since she’d been touched in this way that she was just enjoying the feel of the tingles and feelings coming back. Without even realising it her trousers and knickers were off and she was still straddling Harry, both totally naked.

She couldn’t take it anymore. It had been too long and she couldn’t take the waiting. She pushed Harry down onto his back roughly and climbed onto him properly and felt him join her. They started moving together in sync. They carried on moving in rhythm together with the speed steadily increasing. The heat was starting to get too much and the feelings rushing the two were building and fit to burst.

Her nails started digging into chest as she clung ever tighter to him as she threw her head back and let out a long low moan as he pulled her thighs to himself and pushed deeper into her as he yelled out her name too. The two just stayed in their positions on the sofa breathing heavily with a thin layer of sweat covering them before she collapsed on him. Her breath was fast and heavy on his neck and she snuggled into him and started drawing patterns on his chest and mumbled “I love you.”

He looked down at her, started stroking her hair, kissed the top of her head and said back “I love you too”.


	10. Epilogue

“…HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR GINNY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!”

Everyone finished their chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ and started clapping while the twins carried on on their own, singing ‘How Old Are You Now?’

She went on and blew out the candles on the cake anyway and got more cheers.

Mrs Weasley came running up to Ginny straight away and started giving her one of her infamous ‘Molly Weasley Hugs’. “Awww. My little girl all grown up. Twenty-One! I cant believe it. It makes me feel so old.” Then she continued to cry on Ginny’s shoulder.

“Awww Mum. You’re not meant to cry! Happy day and all.” These words however fell on deaf ears and eventually Mr Weasley had to pry her off of their daughter.

“Happy Birthday, Angel.” He said as he kissed her forehead.

As she watched her parents walking away with her mother leaning on her father she started to wonder if she would be like that when her own children grew up? And who would be the man that she leaned on for support and comfort? Just at that moment the only man that she ever wanted to fill that space wrapped his arms around her from behind.

“Hi.” He mumbled into her neck. “Happy Birthday.”

“Why thank you.” She replied. “But I think you’re just trying to sugar-coat the fact that you have yet to give me a birthday present.”

He turned her around so that chocolate brown eyes met emerald green. “It’s your 21st; I just want it to be special. Besides, I want to keep you in suspense.”

“Sweetheart, you know that’s a bad idea because whenever you do that I just get impatient and angry. Really, it’s just safer for you to give it to me now.” She reasoned with him.

“Okay then. The birthday girl must get what she wants. Come on.” He started to pull her away from the party and towards the trees surrounding the burrow. They stopped at a swing in a clearing that her brothers always used to push her on. “Hop on.”

She smirked up at him and climbed onto it. “How did you know where this was anyway?” She asked.

“Bill told me about it. He said that they always used to argue about who could push you. I love seeing pictures of you when you were little. You were so cute back then.”

“Back then?” She asked in mock seriousness.

He came and tootied down in front of her and replied “You were cute when you were little but your absolutely drop dead gorgeous now.” He then kissed her neck and sucked on it softly. She giggled softly at him. “Seriously though,” he continued “you looked so cute. With the cute little pig tails and the freckles.” He seemed to get nervous at this point; like he didn’t know how to phrase the next bit. “Do you ever…you know…think about having…kids.”

She was a bit taken aback at his forwardness but thought she should answer honestly whichever way this was going. “Yes.”

“Oh.” Silence followed. “Umm…do these kids you think of have a father?”

“No, I plan on making them on my own.” She replied sarcastically but when she saw the look on his face she answered again. “I mean yeah, yeah they do.”

“Do I know him?” He asked playfully.

“Well, he’s kinda famous actually so you probably know of him. I’ve had a crush on him forever too.” She was smiling at him and leaning in slightly. “He’s also got a really hot body so I won’t mind the ‘making the babies’ bit.” He laughed and leaned in completely to give her a quick kiss.

“Sounds like a lucky guy.”

“I think I’m the lucky one.” She replied.

He kneeled down in front of her on the swing so they were eye-level and continued. “Ginz, you mean everything to me. I mean, I know we’ve hit some hard times over the years and most of them were my fault…no really,” he broke off when she started to argue, “but you’ve kept us together and you never gave up and you’ll never know just how much that means to me. I can’t ever imagine not being without you and I don’t want to. So,” he paused for a moment and fumbled for something before holding it out in front of her. “Ginny Weasley, would you do me the great honour of becoming my wife?”

She was totally shell-shocked. She definitely did not expect that. This was all she had ever wanted though. Harry. Her Harry. Forever. There was only one answer she could give.

“Only if you get me a proper birthday present too.” She replied with a huge smile plastered on her face. Then she pounced on him and covered his mouth with hers so they fell back together on to the earth.

They returned to the party with the engagement ring sitting snugly on her finger but no one noticed as they didn’t let go of each others hands throughout the day and hardly looked away from each other. Most could tell that something was up though because of the silly grins that were plastered across their faces for the rest of the day. The twins had remarked that Harry must’ve gotten ‘lucky’ with the birthday girl in the trees to which they both received a hard swat across the head from their mother.

But they had just laughed it all off. Because they had both kept their promises to each other and now they were going to reap the ultimate rewards.

**Author's Note:**

> I've given it a quick read through to catch errors but I don't want to be spending too much time on old stuff so I apologise for the lower standard.


End file.
